If you believe improving your driveway or replacement is expensive, then it’s only sometimes. You can even choose low-cost and attractive solutions for it. Yes! Go for Oil and Chip in Bloomington. This is even referred to as oil & stone or tar & chip. It’s a budget-friendly, lower-cost option with its pros and drawbacks.
What Is Oil and Chip?
This is a mixture of liquid asphalt and stone or tar, which is laid in layers. It is generally used on rural roads, which helps form new layers over an already existing road or driveway. Thus promoting its reliability, durability, and longevity.
How Is An Oil and Chip Driveway Laid?
Initially, groundworks need to be prepared with an even gravel base layer.
Next, hot liquid asphalt is poured on the base gravel layer and coated with loose stones.
The process is repeated if required over the driveway thickness and sturdiness.
The Advantages of Oil and Chip Driveway:
1. Easy Installation: It is easy to install. Thus, build within a day or two. In fact, you can immediately walk on it after installation. However, the recommendation is to wait around three days before you use it for driving or parking. It is even available with a simple and quick installation process.
2. Visually Appealing: There are a lot of color options available in tar and chip driveways. This is due to the top layer of the loose stones of oil and chip material. It offers a creative, unique, and visually appealing driveway that matches the property or home design.
3. Slip Resistant: Tar and chip is a grip offering material on the driveway surface. It’s an excellent choice, offering better traction and minimal risk of slippery accidents. Oil and chips ensure slip-resistance surfacing for homes in rainy, wet, or snowy locations.
4. Easy to Maintain: Oil and chip paving in driveways are better at hiding oil leaks than asphalt and concrete. However, its vibrant finish stays and keeps the driveway maintained. It doesn’t require any periodic seal coating, which is required every two or three years.
5. Affordable: Tar and chip driveways are more affordable than concrete and asphalt ones. These are inexpensive and practically better on long driveway choices.
The Drawbacks of Oil and Chip Driveway:
1. Rough Texture: Yes! That’s true. These driveways are rough as they have gravel layers that are normally rolled into the oil layer but are not premixed. It makes gravel sit on the surface but still is quite loose, which gets damaged with time.
2. Not Permanently Lasting: Oil and chip driveways are not permanent but only last for 7 to 10 years. These are not long-term driveway types, especially if they are not maintained with time. So, lifespan is very indefinite.
3. Less Picked Still: Generally, roads and commercial parking lots have tar and chip pavements. For home driveways, they still need to be regularly used.
4. Cheaper: As it’s a cheaper option than other driveway materials, this makes it a little poor in quality. The bitumen could be of better quality, leading to stones coming from the surface. It may even be prone to melting hot weather, which makes the driveway alarmingly sticky.
The Final Verdict:
Oil and Chip in Bloomington is the best and most affordable paving option. The driveway surfaces are many, but this tar and chip are aggregated well in coating and value for money. It does deteriorate with time, but it is still okay.
